Windjammers 2 makes competitive air hockey that much cooler

Windjammers 2 is simple. Two players, each standing on the opposite side of a small digital field, try and get a frisbee into the other’s goal. The sequel to the 1994 classic builds on a legacy that many in the fighting game community love, including the people who developed it.

“Our first goal was to replicate the gameplay of the first game as accurately as possible so we can use it as a basis to reflect upon. To do this, I went on disassembling most of the original game’s ROM,” Windjammers 2 Lead Programmer Kévin Delbrayelle said in an interview. “We then tried to add new features and enhance the game and, in some respects, the new characters and gameplay elements were added like the original programmers could have implemented them.”

Windjammers 2, according to the long list of gaming outlets that reviewed it, recreates the mechanics of the original while adding plenty of new content. Each characters has special Super Mario Strikers-like super shot that puts some heat on the disc after they throw it. It’s just enough depth to make a community of fans want to compete to see who can get the disc in the net most in a head-to-head tournament.

Just as Knockout City is the esports version of dodgeball, Windjammers 2 is an esports version of over-the-top air hockey. Didn’t think air hockey was a professional sport? Of course it is.

Windjammers 2 side tournaments

There have been plenty of Windjammers tournaments in the past, but fans of the game are hoping that the new sequel will bring an explosion of life to the scene. One of the biggest fighting game tournaments in the Chicago area, Frosty Faustings XIV 2022, is hosting the first major Windjammers 2 side tournament since the game launched on Jan. 20. The developers at Dotemu had released a port of the 1994 classic in 2017, getting fans ready for a full blown sequel almost five years later.

“The game is really fun and I think it will stay in the rotation for upcoming tournaments offline and online,” said Stephen “Rage” Chhouth, who is competing in the tournament. “Mechanics aren’t difficult and anyone can pick it up and play, so I believe there will be a surge of tournaments soon for [Windjammers 2] reigniting the scene once again.”

Frosty Fausting’s Windjammers 2 tournament Top 8 will be streamed on VampireArcadia’s Twitch channel at 3 p.m. ET on Jan. 29 as players chuck frisbees at each other in the Harry Carey Ballroom at the Westin Chicago in Lombard, Illinois. Like most other niche sports and fighting games, Windjammers 2 has a lot of depth at the highest level. The key to winning is often about playing perfectly while capitalizing on your opponent’s mistakes.

“As intense as this game can get, I believe the real key to winning a close match is patience,” Rage said. “Just analyze your opponents and strike hard when you see the opponent’s mistake.”